The Week November 14-20

By William R. Doerner, Sophfronia Scott Gregory, Eugene Linden, Jeffery C. Rubin, Megan Rutherford, Alain L. Sanders and Michael Quinn

WORLD

Menem's Ploy

Argentine President Carlos Menem, at a rare meeting with his predecessor, Raul Alfonsin, leader of the opposition Civic Radical Union Party, won support for a constitutional measure lifting the ban on successive presidential terms. The deal canceled a scheduled referendum on the issue, which seemed likely to prove an embarrassing defeat for the Radicals. The reform must be ratified by the Civic Radical Union Party; it is then expected to breeze through the legislature. With a 40% approval rating, 10% ahead of any rival's, Menem is likely to make a bid for a second term in the mid-1995 election.

Defusing in Kashmir

Ending a 32-day standoff, occupiers of the holiest shrine in Srinagar surrendered to surrounding troops of the Indian army, following an agreement with government negotiators. After three days of interrogation, authorities released 35 of the 65 detainees from the shrine, describing them as innocent civilians; some claimed to have been brutalized while held by the security forces. The other 30, identified by police as Kashmiri separatists, remained in custody.

'Jority Jim

New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger eked out a one-vote parliamentary majority from absentee ballots cast in elections earlier this month. Bolger insisted that his conservative National Party could govern with 50 out of 99 parliamentary seats, vs. 45 for Labour and four for minor parties. But a National M.P. is expected to be named as Speaker, who cannot routinely support the government. Bolger thus faces the possibility of a hung parliament on key ballots.

BUSINESS

Prestige for Sale

Chrysler Corp. announced plans to sell Italy's Automobili Lamborghini, its luxury sports-car and Formula One racing-engine subsidiary, to an Indonesian business group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it was rumored to be worth $40 million. In 1987 Chrysler paid $25 million for Lamborghini, mostly as a vanity nameplate; in recent years it has lost money. The buyer was Megatech, a Bermuda-based holding company owned jointly by Jakarta industrialist Setiawan Djody and Hutomo Mandala Putra, a son of Indonesian President Suharto.

SPORT

World Cup Countdown

An orgy of qualifying matches across Europe produced the requisite quota of football shocks in the lineup for next year's World Cup finals in the U.S., centering mostly on teams that will not make the trip. Among the surprises: France, which needed only a draw to qualify, was beaten, 2-1, in the final 10 seconds of play by upstart Bulgaria. England, playing with a dismal record, was also eliminated, despite its birthright to the game. And European champion Denmark failed to qualify when it was dumped by Spain, 1-0.